


A Woman Scorned

by kcstories



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-06
Updated: 2009-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-20 13:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/213413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcstories/pseuds/kcstories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bellatrix has returned with a vengeance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Woman Scorned

**Author's Note:**

> Pairing: Sirius/Bellatrix (sort of); mention of Voldemort/Bellatrix and Rodolphus/Bellatrix.  
> Warnings: A teensy bit dark. Walks all over canon, especially the timeline. Also, implied infidelity.  
> Summary: Bellatrix has returned with a vengeance.  
> Disclaimer: The Potterverse is JKR's, not mine. Written for fun, not profit.

Eyes wide and mouth agape, Sirius looks around the dining room. A mortifying chill runs up and down his spine while he assesses the wreckage facing him.

Every window in the room has been shattered, leaving shards of glass strewn all over the antique carpet. The floor is littered with cracked ornaments and broken frames. The dinner table has been stripped bare, and one word has been carved deeply into its solid wood top. 

 _T R A I T O R_

He knows what this means. The signs are as obvious as they are terrifying. 

Bellatrix Lestrange was here. 

In a bitter and twisted sort of way, Sirius is almost amused to realise she still carries that dagger with her. So she still enjoys slicing words and symbols into random surfaces and, as rumour would have it, human skin, too. 

Technically, she isn’t required to spill blood, not when one considers how skilled she is at casting Unforgivables. Instead, she consciously chooses to do so, simply for the thrill of it. Causing pain and destruction is what keeps her going, what fills her with a relentless urge to continue. Well, that and the insanity that has been consuming her for decades. Her grip on reality must be even more tenuous now than it was... 

Quite a number of years ago. 

Sirius was seventeen, barely out of school, and _They_ were recruiting. Not that they called it that, of course. That would have been too direct, too honest. Subtle tricks and cunning deception were more their style; still are today, come to mention it, and even more so. 

Sirius knew who she was. He remembered her, albeit vaguely, from family gatherings he attended before he’d buggered off and he and his family had mutually agreed not to have anything further to do with one another, aside from possibly funerals and the inevitable gloating that would accompany them. 

On a warm October evening, she approached him in Hogsmeade, where he’d met up with James and Remus for some drinks and a bit of chitchat.

“Hello, cousin dear,” she said with a smile that seemed inappropriately seductive. No sensible person, he thought at the time, would ever smile in that way at a blood relative. Of course, it was probably a bit naïve on his behalf to compare her actions to those of someone of sound mind, but likely the shock of the moment had addled his judgement, albeit not for long. 

“What do you want,” he snapped and added “Trixie?” for good measure because he knew she harboured a strong loathing for pet names back then. She probably still feels the same way today, though she undoubtedly loves it when _He_ calls her ‘Bella’. It probably makes her feel privileged, a cut above the rest. 

She didn’t want Sirius to address her in a similarly familiar manner, however. Her wild eyes, though slightly unfocused, flashed dangerously, just for a fraction of a second, before she regained her composure and smiled once more. “Don’t be cheeky, dear,” she said. “It’s immature, and rather unbecoming. Besides,”—another smile; this one chilled him to the bone—“we have plans for you, big plans, and it is not yet too late to see them realised. They, some people who know of what they speak, claim you possess a great talent. They tell me you carry within you the potential to be...” 

Sirius frowned. “What?” The question was automatic, born solely from annoyance and certainly not uttered out of interest. He wanted nothing to do with her, let alone with that maniac she considered her Lord and Master. 

But give a dog a bone.... so to speak.

“Legendary,” she replied, placing a pale, long-fingered hand on his left arm. “A force to be reckoned with.” She inched her face closer to his, until their lips were only millimetres apart. “You were always one of the best, you know, one of the strongest members of our family. And you’re still so young... It would be terribly easy to convince them that you were wrong before, that you got”—she chuckled softly; a sound that might have been warm, had it not been laced with this mad desperation that seemed to underlie her every action—“the wrong end of the stick. Not to mention, you’ve grown into a rather handsome young man. I believe…” She smiled again. “We would make an excellent team, you and I, and I don’t only mean professionally.” 

Sirius’ stomach lurched for two reasons. Firstly, it occurred to him that Bellatrix was quite attractive, a rather stunning woman despite the clearly faulty wiring between her ears, and secondly, he was shocked to realise he was actually considering her offer. _For Merlin’s sake, Black,_ he berated himself, _you were born with a spine, man! Pull yourself together!_  

Gently but firmly, he pushed her away and grinned, hoping his feigned nonchalance looked sufficiently convincing. He was well aware he was in over his head. Amongst his peers, he rarely lacked in confidence, nor had any of the Hogwarts teachers ever succeeded in intimidating him, but this woman, this siren standing in front of him, was another kettle of fish entirely. She was evil and beautiful, a lethal combination, and nothing he was used to, never mind prepared for. 

“Thanks but no thanks, Trixie,” he said. “Appreciate the offer, for what it’s worth, but I’m not a follower, you see; too stubborn and selfish by half. Ask anyone, starting with your nearest and dearest… Not to mention, I don’t particularly like the idea of sharing someone with her husband, or some megalomaniac who fancies himself a Lord.” 

When Bellatrix opened her mouth, the fury behind her eyes was unmistakable. Sirius was certain that something terrible was about to happen to him; his imminent death, for instance, but then a voice he couldn’t immediately place called from around the corner. 

“Sirius Black? Are you around here somewhere, my boy?” 

“This isn’t over yet, cousin dear,” Bellatrix hissed, looking rattled. “One day, we shall meet again, and settle this. I was most generous presenting you with a rare opportunity to redeem yourself. I shan’t show you a similar courtesy again, and a time will come where you will suffer the consequences of your rudeness today. How disappointing, Sirius. You’re still a silly, stupid little boy after all.”

Before he could retort, she disappeared with a loud pop. Sirius turned around to see Dumbledore striding around the corner. He had no idea what the man wanted, or what he was even doing there, but Sirius had never been so glad to see him in his whole life. It was perfect timing; too perfect to be sheer coincidence, in hindsight.

Sirius shakes his head when he recalls her words. _The consequences._

Is the mess in his living room only the first taste? 

Sirius can’t be sure, but things don’t look good. 

Bellatrix’ reputation has only worsened over the years; her ruthlessness reported by many nameless witnesses. There is even a price on her head. Not that anyone would dare approach her. She belongs to _Him_ , people say, in every sense of the word, while her husband stands by and does nothing. Well, how could he, of course? Retaliate against Him? That would be treason. And suicide. 

Sirius sighs. Perhaps Dumbledore will be able to help this time, too. Or perhaps he’ll have to sort it out on his own. 

Either way, something needs to be done quickly. He has to get to her before she gets to him again because the third time might just be the last. 

His mind made up, Sirius turns on his heel, and determinedly strides out of the room, leaving the mess for the elves to deal with. 


End file.
